Hospital campaigners declare victory in fight for St Richard's Hospital

The NHS West Sussex board will meet at the end of the month to vote on the recommendation that would mean inpatient paediatrics, emergency surgery, and inpatient maternity services '“ which had been under threat '“ will be retained at both St Richard's and Worthing Hospital.

NHS West Sussex chief executive John Wilderspin said the proposal had been helped by the merger of Royal West Sussex NHS Trust and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS in April.

"The merger of the two trusts following Fit for the Future has produced new opportunities for joint working, which mean that we believe these three services can now be retained on two sites," he said.

"These arrangements did not exist when the original Fit for the Future decisions were made.

"When merger talks began we put those decisions on hold to see what difference the merger process might have, and we are pleased to see that the impact has been so positive.

"I understand that people will say nothing has changed, but in fact the Fit for the Future process has secured significant gains for people in West Sussex '“ services that would not have been able to survive in the long term now have a strong foundation for the future."

The NHS West Sussex board will be meeting on November 26, at 2pm at the Grand Hall, at the Hilton Avisford Park Hotel, Walberton.

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